Island Girlfriends

I was always a tomboy. Growing up with a brother who pushed my limits, I always felt the need to compete. My brother, Sean, is 3 years my senior and I looked up to him and wanted to be just like him. If he climbed a tree, I had to climb higher. If he rode his bicycle, I had to ride faster. I didn’t always succeed, but I tried. My mother would try and try to no avail to keep me in a dress and inside the house playing with dolls and tiny china sets. I wanted none of that. I constantly fought the double standards and my parents soon learned that I was an equal opportunity child. If Sean did it, why couldn’t I? After many scraped knees and broken bones, I think they were resigned to the fact that this was me.

Considering that I wanted to be just like Sean, I also wanted to hang out with Sean’s friends. The majority of my close friends all through high school and college were boys. There were some girlfriends, but they were just like me. I never really understood girls, which may seem odd since I am female.

As I get older, I realize that there are just some things that men can’t understand. As women, we deal with sexism, periods, glass ceilings, and wage gaps, among so many other issues. We are judged differently than our testosterone-filled counterparts. If we are assertive, we’re bitches. If we are aggressive, we’re manly. If we have a disagreement with another woman, it’s a cat fight. If my mother comes to my house and it isn’t clean, she doesn’t look disapprovingly at my husband or my toddler lol. You get my point. When faced with adversity, we look for solace in others who share our plight. I have formed bonds with some phenomenal women. Although we don’t see each other that often – because life gets in the way, and some live too far away – when we do make time, it’s always full of laughs, fun and fellowship.

I still have my guy friends and they are very important in my life, but there’s nothing better than a fun ladies’ night with drinks, interesting conversation and lots of laughs! I love my girlies and in a world where hate comes so easily, it’s good to show a little love.